1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable display apparatus, and more particularly, to a foldable display apparatus which is bent at a certain curvature or is unfolded into a flat state.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A display apparatus using a flat display panel, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, a plasma display apparatus, an organic light emitting display apparatus, an electrophoretic display apparatus, or an electro-wetting display apparatus, is generally applied to notebook computers, portable electronic devices, televisions (TVs), and monitors.
Recently, even in portable electronic devices, the demand for a large screen is increasing, and thus, an apparatus including a display unit displaying a large screen is being developed and commercialized by connecting a flat display panel. In particular, foldable display apparatuses using the merits of a flexible display panel which is bendable or foldable are convenience due to portability and include a display unit which displays a large screen, and thus are attracting much attention as next-generation technology of the display field. The foldable display apparatus may be applied to various fields such as TVs and monitors, in addition to portable electronic devices such as mobile communication terminals, electronic notes, e-books, portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation devices, ultra mobile personal computers (PCs), mobile phones, smartphones, tablet PCs.
The foldable display apparatuses may include, for example, a flexible display apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0010405. This U.S. patent publication discloses a flexible display apparatus that unfolds a flexible display with respect to a hinge having a link structure, thereby providing a large screen. However, the flexible display apparatus disclosed in this U.S. patent publication cannot maintain a bending area of an unfolded flexible display in a flat state due to an empty space between housings connected by hinges and their link structure.